Morning Brief: A tale of two tallies

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Hello again, readers.

If the Conservative Party leadership contest were held today, Peter MacKay might secure the most first-place votes but Erin O’Toole’s draw as party members’ preferred second-choice could make for a very close race, a new poll from Mainstreet Research suggests.

A telephone survey of 6,624 party members conducted on Monday found that MacKay was the first pick for 40 per cent of voters, but O’Toole, who 34 per cent of respondents preferred, was more than twice as likely to be second on the ballot of supporters of leadership long-shots Leslyn Lewis and Derek Sloan than MacKay.

“Possible, yes. Realistic? Yes. Certainly not unthinkable,” Giroux said, which CTV News reported. A few weeks ago the PBO predicted this year’s deficit alone could be $252 billion, which on Tuesday Giroux called an “optimistic scenario.”

Tuesday also brought more doling out of federal funds in response to COVID-19, this time in support of seniors. Seniors Minister Deb Schulte announced that $2.5 billion will be sent to seniors by way of $300 to $500 payments depending on their incomes, to help them weather the economic hardship of the pandemic. Charlie Pinkerton has more from that announcement.

International Development Minister Karina Gould also announced Tuesday that Canada would dedicate $790 million to helping the world’s most vulnerable populations access a vaccine for the new coronavirus when one becomes available. The Canadian Press has more information.

Premier Doug Ford says technology will play a critical role in contact tracing in Ontario, as part of the province’s continuing strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19.

While Ford said “we’re coming up with new apps” to help with both tracing and testing, the health ministry says the province is still discussing with the federal government and other provinces using new tech to track the disease’s spread. Victoria Gibson looked into Ford’s comments and how the prospect of digitally-aided contact tracing is developing in Canada.

On a similar note, most Canadians wouldn’t support governments requiring that they download an app to trace the spread of the coronavirus, another new Mainstreet poll for iPolitics suggests. Marco Vigliotti explores its findings.

A U.S. judge has stymied the Justice Department’s move to exonerate Michael Flynn, for now. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said he expects independent groups and legal experts to argue against the bid to drop charges against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, who earlier was found guilty of lying to investigators about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into interference in the election of Trump’s. (Washington Post)

Presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden unsurprisingly won Nebraska’s primary election, which was held on Tuesday. (New York Times)

In international COVID-19 news, Russia now has the 232,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the second highest toll in the world, after only the United States. The country reported almost 11,000 cases on Tuesday, and President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman is now infected, local media reported. (BBC News)

Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated, plans to test all 11 million of its residents in 10 days after a cluster of cases were discovered. (NPR)

Cartoon of the Day

Theo Moudakis cartoon

FINALLY

Toronto’s annual Canadian National Exhibition has been cancelled for only the second time in its 142-year history.